Excerpts from LW's Journal
by Pillocase
Summary: A short story/one-shot chronicling my Nuzlocke run of Crystal, through the idiosyncratic diary of the private detective LW.


_1st of J, 2012_

_Off._

Dark outside, dark as a tar Swalot in the pits of Hell. Makes LW. consider getting new office soon. Maybe top floor. Top floor brighter.

Bad idea. Second floor brings more clients. Also not tidy enough for extra light. Will keep this office for now.

Met new client today. Female with blue hair, yellow shorts and white jacket. Impractical for big city - should tell to change next time. Shining target for thieves and rapists. Also looked distressed and angry. One piece of work.

Case is investigating disappearance of Sentret, originally in possession of F. Stolen at corner of East 30th and North 31st. Odd case. No suspects sighted.

Will look into tomorrow. Sleep for now.

_3rd of J_

_North 31st Street_

Windy day, like God reversed vacuum on city. Have to hold onto hat. Cold, too. Shivers running up and down back. Makes LW. happy for office.

No sign of suspicious activity. Hadn't expected it. Be glad to get inside again.

_4th of J_

_Off._

Quiet day. Not a sound anywhere. Silence like a big invisible blanket that blocks out all sound.

Thought about case earlier. Thief stole possession: 1x Sentret. Target's other possessions: 1x Totodile, 1x Phanpy, 1x Ledyba. Mistaken theft? Must check. No clear reasons for targeting.

Sentret probably lost now. Reassignment by thief? Melting down? Not likely. Sentret too useful unless faulty copy. Can't be. Given F. by recognised distributor, probably used after gift (will ask). Reassignment most likely.

_7th of J_

_Off._

Pain in back. Won't go away. Note to self: Sleeping at office = OK, sleeping in bed at office = not OK. Will replace when cash.

No progress in case. Not like cat theft – no way of finding right one after day or two. More like cars. Quick paintjob or reprogram, and it's lost.

Bad news for client. No can do about it. Will give news, and bill, to client upon next visit.

_8th of J_

_Off._

Client returned on own accord today. In a huff. Couldn't calm her. Decided not to mention bill.

Another Pokémon stolen now. 1x Ledyba. Says she was in The Well. Nasty place. Chock with criminals. Fester the place like ants on steroids and Viagra. No clear reason for theft (again). Other possessions: 1x Croconaw, 1x Phanpy, 1x Bellsprout, 1x Geodude, 1x Gastly. Why take Ledyba? Bad model. No use. Loucrative (sp?) target? Unlikely, from poor district. Apparent connection to Elm, known distributor of goods. Not black market.

Will send assistant to follow, keep an eye on F. Perhaps confront? Danger of attack? Distruptive? Will consider.

Found windowsill full of dead bugs also. Took brush, swept away. Cleaner now.

_10th of J_

_Corner of 33rd and Union Street_

Had message from assistant yesterday. Target obtained 1x Weedle from park by The Shrine. Stolen only an hour later. On way to investigate.

Rainy today. Forgot umbrella. Picked wrong coat. Smudgy notebook.

Seen traces of black market. Held up by murky dealer offering Pokémon. Counterfeit (sp?) likely. Talk of possible crime syndicate by name of Rocket. Must check. Later. Case more important. Also no payment for unofficial work. Leave it to police.

Assistant made attempt to confront client. No luck. She didn't listen. Will tell to continue following.

_13th of J_

_Golden Plaza_

Quiet three days. Nothing's happened. Could get used to this being common.

Ran into woman today. Red as spraypainted car. Much eyeshadow. Probably prostitute. Kept nagging. Had to push away.

Made deal with man upstairs, will take his office and he takes LW.'s. Says he sees benefit for both our businesses.

Case continues. No further information about three lost Pokémon. Don't want to think more today. Tomorrow.

_15th of J_

_Off._

Had message from assistant. F. still doesn't like being confronted, beat up assistant. Fiesty.

Don't like feisty. Hard to spell, too. Fiesty/feisty?

Will make trip to The Tower in Burnt Alley tomorrow. Dark place, specially with doors closed. Have another contact there. Will ask for information.

Thought of lost Pokémon. Three stolen. Good thing for them they don't have souls. No spirit. Just machines, like cars. Stop working without assigned trainer, mind works like keys to car. Useful for thieves. Reassignment easy with right equipment.

Why steal low/useless models? Sentret, Ledyba and Weedle defunct, hardly worth anything. Possible reasons. Small crimes to evade suspicion (sp?) Melting down? Doubt it, but possible. Personal vendetta against client? Must confirm. Unlikely but possible. Will ask.

_16th of J_

_The Tower_

Hot day, specially inside. Feels like a furnace, that's been put into a boiler in the crater of the largest volcano in the sun. Sweating like a pig.

Need to get new coat. Doesn't help with heat.

Traces of struggle. No blood – so no humans involved. Except assistant. Bruised, broken arm, but didn't bleed.

Should check for possibility of same happening to others.

Client clearly dangerous. No problem for LW. Feel sorry for thieves. Glad for own Pokémon now.

Place otherwise ruined. Small pieces of metal scattered. Probably assistant's Zubat. Nasty, but nothing important harmed.

Except assistant.

_20th of J_

_Off._

Difficult case. Can't wrap head around it. Need to collect thoughts, get important things down on paper.

Starting now.

1. Client lost 3 Pokémon. Useless. No real use for them anywhere – petty thievery theft. Important things about Pokémon – Machines, robots, commercial objects. Highly developed, wide usage. Some with enormous powers, like monster trucks in a sea of REVAis. Theft or dispatch possible. Simpler with weak models like Rattata, Weedle. Difficult - too difficult? - to steal powerful models like Arcanine and Dragonite. Happy about that, now.

2. Client's other possessions at time of first theft: 1x Totodile, 1x Phanpy, 1x Ledyba, 3'000 cash (payment to LW. for taking on case). Client's other possessions at time of second thft: 1x Croconaw (upgr. Totodile), 1x Phanpy, 1x Bellsprout, 1x Geodude, 1x Gastly, unspecified cash.

3. Client's other possessions at time of third theft: Same as second.

4. Why only small gain? Nothing for criminals to win. Money scant, similar models easily available. Many small crimes to skim off top without bothering legal authorities? No real gain intended, less thieves and more poor bums? Vendetta on client?

5. No other thefts reported anywhere. F. seems to be only target. Vendetta possible? Stealing Totodile or Phanpy much better choices then. Need to confirm with police if similar cases have been reported to them.

Bad idea. Police likely corrupt, or defunct. Cooperates with syndicates. Could alert thieves to case.

6. Client's current possessions: 1x Feraligatr (upgr. first Totodile), 1x Donphan (upgr. Phanpy), 1x Weepinbell (upgr. Bellsprout), 1x Graveler (upgr. Geodude), 1x Haunter, 1x Pidgeotto, unspecified (but much more) cash. Haunter upgr. Gastly.

Was attacked yesterday. Regular thug, probably no connection to case. Dispatched easily by Hyper Beam. Muscular, bare chest, likely trained in martial arts. Drunk.

7. Why no more thefts? Client left alone by criminals last ten days. Given up? Assistant sighted client by harbour, Olive pier, three days ago. Looked unthreatening.

8. New bed this morning. Cast iron. Bad choice. Nearly broke back carrying in. Comfortable.

Head empty. Will stop writing now.

_22nd of J_

_House of Rage_

Made appointment with client to meet her in alley beside Mahogany Boulevard, outside brothel known as House of Rage. Strange place for a meeting. Client possibly working here? Unlikely with her habits.

Cold outside. Wind is biting. Unbearably cold, like being wet and hugging a popsicle in Siberia but actually dry. Glad for coat.

Still waiting.

_25th of J_

_Off._

Assistant sighted by F. two days ago, in shady place near Golden Plaza. Soundly beaten. In hospital, broken legs and arms. And ribs. Said she looked angry, stomped off towards radio tower. Why?

No problem. Sent out other assistant. Traced her through warehouse on corner of Northeast 44th and Thorne Avenue. When located, Pidgeotto in her possession nowhere to be seen. Replaced by Golbat. Theft or willful?

Didn't like new office. Made swap with man next door. Window less hidden by block outside. Realized he looks toxic. Will avoid from now on.

_26th of J_

_Bell Ecru University Hospital_

Took day off. Visited first assistant in hospital. Says he'll be out tomorrow. Medical science is amazing. Development of Ditto really useful.

Also went to the cinema. Saw movie about dragons. Boring.

_28th of J_

_Off._

Noises downstairs yesterday. Wonder why. Best not to ask. Shady part of town.

Also received message through second assistant. First assistant back in hospital. Beaten within inch of life by client. Note to self: Get more covert agent for these cases.

Confirmed that Pidgeotto, which was upgraded day before, was stolen. Golbat replacement – has been upgraded to Crobat.

Dreamed tonight. Odd. Usually don't remember dreams. Must read up on.

_29th of J_

_Off._

Just made agreement with man two floors up. Will switch offices with him. Says he gets vertego (sp?). Fourth floor fine with me.

Rumbles from next door. Worried, but not effected. Glad for move, now. If man next door disappears, happy.

Message from assistant: Client's Weepinbell stopped working. Sloppy workmanship, or software fault? Deliberate? Case still investigated. Few leads. All traces of criminal activity near client disappeared since 23rd. No idea. Must investigate.

_30th of J_

_Off._

Moved this morning. Previous owner helped move. Took bed like it was nothing. Envious a bit.

Mostly quiet now. But occupants on third floor noisy. Didn't notice before. Will confront when time.

No messages from assistant. Hope she is okay.

Noise downstairs stopped now. Will sleep.

_31st of J_

_Off._

Bad day. Very bad day. Only just made it out alive. Not proud of myself.

Two hours ago, someone knocked on door. Then door was knocked out. Client was there, looking angry. Backed by Feraligatr, Donphan, Graveler, Haunter and Crobat.

Had no time to think before my throat was grappled. She shouted that her four lost Pokémon hadn't been found and it had been a month. Spittle flew from her mouth. Desperately released own Pokémon – 3x Dragonite, Gyarados, Charizard, Aerodactyl – tried to stop her. Looked murderous.

She released, kicked me in stomach and head. Painful.

Her Pokémon beat the others easily, ripped them apart. Useless. Scrap metal now. Nuts, bolts and metal plates all over.

Client came back with knife, wanting to stab. I pulled out gun, held it up in defense. She lunged, but I shot her in head. Fell down to the floor. I stood up, fired five more bullets into chest and stomach. Self-defense. No choice. Not proud of myself.

Her Pokémon froze when she died. Fed by mental links. No energy when trainer is dead. Happy for that. Otherwise I'd be goner. Five metal monsters standing like frozen statues. Perhaps can reassign them to self. No other owner now. Own are destroyed, scrap metal. Won't revive them. Fair that I get these five.

Still winded. Waiting for police to come – man across hallway called for them. Still no word from assistants.

Calmer now. Work over. Payment made. Case never solved, but victim dead. No longer my responsibility.

Hear footprints. Must stop writing now, must explain to police.


End file.
